[CSM41]

Hello all! I have been an audio enthusiast for years and have gone through a litany of audio gear, but I have never tried a headphone rig before. I want to try it, but I may need a little bit of assistance from the experts here on site. I do want to start entry level to see if I like the headphone experience before I throw down for high dollar gear. I have been researching and have a few ideas, but please feel free to chime in with recommendations and or advice. I was thinking PC for source at first, but I also have a few streamers lying around. Here are a few of my ideas in order of cost:

Schiit Magni+ /Sennheiser 560S

Schiit Magni+ /HiFi Man Sundara

Schiit Asgard 3 /Dan Clark Aeon RT combo (offered as a combo on the Schiit site)

I have a bunch of DACs I could use: Chord Qutest, Chord Qute HD, Cambridge Audio DAC100, Topping D10S.

I also have a few streamers laying around: Eversolo DMP-A6, Wiim Pro Plus (2), Squeezebox Touch

Any thoughts or ideas would be much appreciated.

 

[robertom]

Magni is good enough, I have had two models of it. Good. HD560S is a good headphone but the 4-6 Khz elevation could be very hearable and nasty, depending on the sample (there is some batch variation, it seems). I have had both 560S and HD400, and the second one, despite formally being the same headphone, sounded better with almost no 4-6 Khz peak. But it can depend on my sample as well.
I'd rather vote for Sundara, OR you can try Deva Pro wired, that is for me one of the best tuned Hifiman.

 

[dunring]

The Sabaj A20h is on fire sale at Amazon for $68 with 4 currently in stock. Balanced, digital volume, all the power you need and can handle a 5 volt DAC without clipping. A sister company of SMSL, I have one and it's excellent. Connectors are in the back, so longer cables are helpful.

 

[Lindholdt]

Hello all! I have been an audio enthusiast for years and have gone through a litany of audio gear, but I have never tried a headphone rig before. I want to try it, but I may need a little bit of assistance from the experts here on site. I do want to start entry level to see if I like the headphone experience before I throw down for high dollar gear. I have been researching and have a few ideas, but please feel free to chime in with recommendations and or advice. I was thinking PC for source at first, but I also have a few streamers lying around. Here are a few of my ideas in order of cost:

Schiit Magni+ /Sennheiser 560S

Schiit Magni+ /HiFi Man Sundara

Schiit Asgard 3 /Dan Clark Aeon RT combo (offered as a combo on the Schiit site)

I have a bunch of DACs I could use: Chord Qutest, Chord Qute HD, Cambridge Audio DAC100, Topping D10S.

I also have a few streamers laying around: Eversolo DMP-A6, Wiim Pro Plus (2), Squeezebox Touch

Any thoughts or ideas would be much appreciated.

I went through something very similar a while back, been into speakers for years, but ned to headphones
What are you hoping the headphone experience can give you, versus you speaker setups?

 

[CSM41]

I went through something very similar a while back, been into speakers for years, but ned to headphones
What are you hoping the headphone experience can give you, versus you speaker setups?

I just moved to my current dwelling and have one of my stereo systems in a 12 x 12 office. The room is horrible and needs a lot of room treatment. I figured that the easy answer for my office is to use headphones. I have a large, finished basement with my "big" system that satisfies my need for an audiophile speaker system.

 

[CSM41]

Magni is good enough, I have had two models of it. Good. HD560S is a good headphone but the 4-6 Khz elevation could be very hearable and nasty, depending on the sample (there is some batch variation, it seems). I have had both 560S and HD400, and the second one, despite formally being the same headphone, sounded better with almost no 4-6 Khz peak. But it can depend on my sample as well.
I'd rather vote for Sundara, OR you can try Deva Pro wired, that is for me one of the best tuned Hifiman.

I have a Schiit Loki still sitting in a box if that would help with the phones setup. The Sundara is VERY appealing at the moment. Another thought, closed or open back? I am a soundstage and imaging whore even with conventional audiophile speakers.

 

[Lindholdt]

Open backs are generally better when it comes to sound stage, but do be prepared for something completely different from the speaker experience, headphones just can't deliver that kind of stage.
The Sundara is a great all-around'er in my opinion, and it was the headphone that really sparked my interest in this hobby

 

[robertom]

I have a Schiit Loki still sitting in a box if that would help with the phones setup. The Sundara is VERY appealing at the moment. Another thought, closed or open back? I am a soundstage and imaging whore even with conventional audiophile speakers.

Don't know if there are many headphones that achieve a big and enveloping soundstage without sarificing somehow tonality. Probably it all depends on your priorities. I have had the Hifiman edition XS and their sounstage was really wide and enjoiable, but tonally wise I prefer the cheaper Deva pro wired (I still have them). Same for the AKG K702, large soundstage but nasty peak at 2K, and lack of bass. And so on...

There is an alternative you can obtain software wise. I'm currently using Jriver Media Center as my player, excellent audio quality and the feature of loading VST2 and VST3 plugins: I load Ghz Canopener as a VST on Jriver, excellent plugin (best one I have tried) for channel crossfeed, that emulates what happens with speakers (left ear hears what is coming from the right speaker, although reduced in level and slightly delayed). This works with any headphone and gives the sensation of a better sounstage and a more realistic, speaker-like, presentation.
Jriver also has a virtual WASAPI driver for a "systemwide" correction of any sound produced by any source on your PC (a youtube video, a Spotify song, etc).

 

[CSM41]

I have used JRiver a long while ago, but I have read that the current is even better. Definitely a possibility. I like the idea of channel cross feed and have read that the Chord Mojo2 does that as well. I already have 2 Chord DACs and they are fantastic.

The Deva Pro wired reviews well, one reviewer called it a "baby Sundara". I also see positive reviews of the HiFi Man HE400SE. I think I am going to order a Schiit Magni+ and then focus my search on a decent headphone to go with it.